Which structural adaptation aids Antarctic penguins like the Adélie in preventing freezing in extremities?
Answer
Countercurrent exchange in the arteries and veins.
Antarctic penguins must maintain a high core body temperature while dealing with near-freezing ambient temperatures and water, especially in exposed extremities like feet. Countercurrent exchange is a vital thermoregulatory strategy employed in these cold conditions. This system involves arteries carrying warm blood moving outward from the body core running in very close proximity to the veins carrying cold blood returning from the extremities. Heat is efficiently transferred from the warm arterial blood to the cold venous blood before it returns to the core, preventing freezing and minimizing overall systemic heat loss.
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